The Joint Permanent Offices of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies took note on Wednesday of President Iohannis’ letter informing Parliament that NATO response forces may enter, deploy or transit Romania to prepare and/or conduct military operations, if in 2024.

“Among a series of overlapping crises, the international environment in 2023 is increasingly less predictable, and instability is a major feature of new security dynamics. In the conditions of strategic competition between major states and reassessment of geopolitical approaches in international politics, the conflict situation on the regional and global levels intensified. The war in Ukraine during 2023 became exhausting, positional, but its tortuous evolution did not lead to the fact that the Russian Federation abandoned the initial declared goals of the invasion,” President Ioannis’ letter to the parliament reads.

According to the quoted document, “in the event that the preconditions for the initiation of a major security crisis, which may have consequences for the independence and national sovereignty of Romania, appear untimely, the North Atlantic Council may decide on the deployment of NATO.” A response force on the territory of Romania with a very high response capability – the VJTF to defuse the crisis and prevent its escalation.”

“Depending on the provisions of the crisis response plans implemented at the Alliance level, the deployment to the national territory of a NATO Response Force with a very high response potential may include this NATO Response Force in its entirety or individual components thereof. , supplemented by elements of command, control and support, which are established taking into account the volume, type and specifics of the operation as part of the process of operational planning of the strategic and operational levels, which is carried out at the level of the responsible commands of the Alliance, “the letter says.

President Iohannis emphasizes that “in order to implement the measures prepared at the national level to receive the VJTF, in the very short available time frame – 72 hours – it is necessary to obtain authorization for the deployment or transit of this NATO Response Force on the national territory.”

“In this context, after analyzing NATO’s requests and taking into account the security situation in the region, (…) I inform the Parliament of Romania that I have approved the introduction and deployment in Romania of a NATO response/reaction force with very high response potential (VJTF/ARF ) or their transit of the national territory for the purpose of preparing and/or conducting military operations, if necessary, in 2024, as well as the mandate of the Minister of National Defense to approve any changes in the structure/composition of the VJTF that may occur in connection with the data planning sent by NATO for 2024,” the letter also states.

The document will be included in the agenda of the next joint plenary session to inform the parliament. (Agerpress)